Are your team quiet vacationing?

A new report from Recruiter highlights the mindset of workers globally. While terms like ‘quiet quitting’, ‘quiet hiring’, and ‘quiet firing’ have become common in UK offices recently, a new trend called ‘quiet vacationing’ is emerging. This refers to employees taking time off without informing their bosses, adding to the signs of disengagement in the workplace.

In June, Wells Fargo fired several employees for allegedly faking work activity. Tools like ‘mouse jigglers’ are used by some to avoid detection by monitoring software. According to Gallup's "State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report," only 10% of UK workers are engaged, placing the UK 33rd out of 38 European countries. Romania leads with 36% engagement, while France ranks lowest at 7%.

The report also shows varying levels of stress, anger, and sadness among workers across different countries.  Northern Cyprus has the highest levels of stress and anger, while the UK ranks second for sadness among workers. The UK also ranks 29th for job market optimism, with 48% believing it's a good time to find a job which is positive for @royall and our client and talent community.

@royall, we also know that by fostering a culture of open communication, recognition, continuous growth and where all voices are heard, hiring managers can improve engagement and combat these issues.

Employee dissatisfaction also appears to be influenced by broader global issues and political discontent, suggesting that resolving workplace disengagement may require changes beyond the workplace itself too.

Talking of open communication, here are our Top 3 questions to ask your people this summer:

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with your current role and responsibilities?

2. Do you feel valued and recognised for your contributions to the team? Please explain your answer.

3. What resources or support do you need to perform your job more effectively?

Also for those employees that are parents in your team, be mindful of the rise in cost of living versus childcare and the constant juggle and struggle with this. Check in on them, be kinder on office hours and deadlines.

Meanwhile, wishing you all a fabulous summer from all of us here and thank you for your continued loyalty.